


To Make the Weak Feel Safe

by goldfishoflove



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 12:58:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8533975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldfishoflove/pseuds/goldfishoflove
Summary: What does it actually mean to be strong enough to make the weak feel safe?





	

I.

"GIVE IT!!"

Magnus stops and squints. The voice is coming from an alleyway, but it's too petulant for a mugging. It sounds like a kid. Who lets their kids play in the street at this hour?

When he finds them, they're locked in an angry tug-of-war over a cloth sack. Two half-elves, him about ten and her a little older, maybe fourteen.

Magnus puts on his friendliest voice. "Why hello! What seems--"

The girl screams and drops the bag, and the younger boy immediately darts back and reaches into it. He pulls out a round of bread the size of his face and takes a huge slobbery bite. The girl's eyes dart back and forth between him and Magnus; when Magnus doesn't move, she settles on staring at the bread.

Hm.

"Well hey, look at that! I've got another one." Magnus fishes around in his pack and finds the package of groceries he'd only just put away. When he holds it out she doesn't move, so he tosses it gently and she catches it out of reflex. Magnus sits down and waits. Eventually, the kids stop eating for a moment to sit, and then resume.

He says nothing until they're finished.

"So, uh." He clears his throat and pushes himself to his feet. "Is there somewhere you should be getting back to? Do your parents--"

"YOU CAN'T MAKE US." The boy is already on his feet, eyes wide, ready to run. Behind him, the girl glares, moving into a crouch.

Magnus finally notices the bruises.

 

II.

Railsplitter's handle makes short work of the window. No one will notice in this part of town. The house has been abandoned for months, it looks like. Perfect.

"I'll bring in some water before I go. Do you have anything to ... no? Okay, I'll leave my waterskin here, but don't lose it. Don't build a fire, you'll burn the place down. I bet you can both fit under this coat if you don't mind sharing. I'll clean the fireplace out next time I'm here. Are you still hungry?"

The kids are too tired and suspicious to argue. Magnus knows they might not stay. But it's all he can do.

 

III.

The first time Magnus shows up late and winded to training, Merle writes it off. The sixth time, he follows him.

Sure, a man is entitled to his secrets, but if he's this damn bad at keeping them, it serves him right. Besides, he might be endangering the Bureau. It's not like Merle is just nosy and stubborn.

Magnus is not a stealthy man, and he has more important things on his mind than pursuit. Two more blankets, a bucket of paint, what else did he say he would bring? The hole in the porch is bothering him, someone could put their foot through that. It should only take a couple of hours ...

If Merle expects a dramatic showdown when he knocks, he is disappointed.

"Oh, hey Merle. Good timing. Hold this."

Magnus listens silently to Merle's arguments while he pulls up the broken step, measures a new one, cuts it. He doesn't have the time. It's taking him away from training. The Director could call them up any day now. What if she found out.

"Magnuuuus!" Merle does a double take when the girl runs up to the house. She's a dwarf, about twelve or thirteen, and a few strands of curly hair are splayed around the edge of her scarf. But her voice is unfamiliar, and her eyes are red with tears.

"Oh no, Ruby, what happened!" Magnus's forehead creases as he bends over her swollen wrist. "That ... that doesn't look right. We should get you to--"

Merle forgets to grumble. He uses a tone Magnus hasn't heard before. "C'mere, honey. Let me see that."

 

IV.

The inside of the house is almost all cleaned out now. They even replaced the window. There are about ten kids here most of the time, but they come and go when they need to. The oldest ones do most of the cooking and some of the repairs. The youngest one is barely three. He's sitting in his brother's lap right now, giggling and squirming.

Merle's curiosity finally gets the best of him. "Are any ... uh ... what I meant to say is, do you have any kids, Magnus?"

Magnus stops short. As the silence extends, Merle regrets asking. Finally Magnus shakes his head.

"No. We never did."

Huh. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

"We?"

Another long pause. Magnus takes a deep breath.

 

V.

It's almost midsummer, and the back yard is a jungle of dandelions. A teenage drow is fanning herself in the shade of a willow tree and laughing at some humans who are trying, and failing, to do cartwheels.

When Magnus ducks inside there's only one person there, curled up on a bedraggled sofa he'd brought back one day across his shoulders.

"Hey, Sam! Don't you wanna get in on this sunshine?"

Sam shrugs. Their knees are pulled up under a long skirt and they're staring out the window. "I think I'm better off in here."

Magnus frowns. "What's up?"

"Nothing." Sam tugs idly at their skirt, smooths it out, turns to look in another direction.

Magnus has gotten pretty good at this by now. He sits at the other end of the couch, and he waits.

The admission is almost inaudible. "They were making fun of me. For ... for the skirt."

Magnus's eyes grow huge, confused. "What! Who? Someone here?"

Sam shakes off the question. "I don't want to talk about it."

Sam doesn't say any more, so Magnus doesn't either. But the furrows in his brow follow him home.

 

VI.

Taako doesn't look up when Magnus comes in. A book floats lightly in front of his chest, leaving his hands free to brush the topcoat over his purple nail polish. He tilts his head; the page turns itself.

"Hey, uh, Taako."

"Mmmm?" The wizard's eyes slide across the page, then lazily turn the next one.

"Look ... I know I haven't been around that much lately ..."

"You haven't?"

Magnus doesn't try to guess if that's sarcasm, spite, or genuine obliviousness. He knows better.

"Yeah. But anyway! Can you do me a favor?"

Taako pauses between fingernails to lift an eyebrow. "What's that?"

 

They pick a good day. It's busy; seven or eight in the common room, a handful outside, and one or two clomping around upstairs. When Taako sweeps in next to Magnus, a vision in mauve, a roomful of curious eyes rise up to meet him.

Most of them turn away again after a moment. But the tiefling in the corner stares.

"Wait, is that ..." He looks at Taako, at Magnus, at Taako again.

Magnus winks knowingly.

Taako throws Magnus a look. "Well, I was told there was a crowd here that might like a cooking lesson. But if no one's that excited ..."

"I am, I am!" The tiefling jumps to his feet and runs over. "I was so sick when you came through town, my mom wouldn't let me go! But everyone said you were amazing!"

"Everyone was right, obviously." Taako finds the kitchen, followed by the tiefling and a few other kids who have picked up that something is happening. Bare feet stumble down the staircase.

"Are you really gonna do a show for us?! I thought you weren't--"

"Oh, you thought wrong, darling." Taako lifts a pan off the rack and spins it in his hand. He eyes it critically, then looks around the swiftly filling room. "THAT won't do." He spins it again, and when it stops it's wider, flatter, smoother. The tiefling's eyes are like saucers. "What do you say? Are you ready ... to sizzle it up?"

 

Magnus casts a worried eye at his cabinets as gouts of colored flame burst from the stove, but they remain unharmed. There isn't a lot of counter space, so two elf girls have dragged the kitchen table over next to Taako. Now they're leaning on each other, whispering excitedly and pointing at his knifework. In the back, a dwarf stands on a chair to look over the murmuring crowd.

"Did you see that?"

"He's so cool!"

"My auntie said she learned her best pie recipe from Taako!"

"Oh man, I wish I could do that."

Magnus spots Sam standing to one side, near the back door. They're staring at Taako. The crowd gasps as he spins around with an empty plate in his hand, and when he turns back it's piled high with brownies. His skirt swirls around his knees beneath his apron. Everyone cheers.

Magnus smiles hopefully.

Sam glances at Magnus, flashes a smile, and turns back to the show.

 

VII.

"Magnus!" Taako's long stride catches up to him quickly. "Wait!"

"You heard the Director. It's time to go."

"But what about--" They reach the hangar. Taako casts a sidelong glance at Avi and lowers his voice. "... you know."

"What about it?"

Taako gapes. "Who's going to protect the kids?"

Merle catches up to them, red-faced and glaring. Magnus taps one of the cannonballs and stands back as its hatch yawns open.

"We are."

Taako's eyes narrow, but he follows Magnus into the ball. In the last of the light before they're engulfed by the cannon, Magnus turns and looks at him.

"That's what we're doing."

The cannon fires.


End file.
